In March 1923, over 400 deep-pocket travelers arrived back in New York City after spending 130 days at sea onboard the world's first around-the-globe cruise.
Is Facebook Taking Over Airline Ticketing?
27.07.2023 - 18:37 / smartertravel.com / Shannon Macmahon
The more Facebook swallows up entire businesses (read: Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus VR) and expands its own capabilities, the more it seems like the social media giant truly wants to take over the world. And in an age when smartphone apps that serve just one function rarely survive, Facebook’s messaging app appears to be stepping into yet another realm: travel.
After Facebook launched Messenger to shaky reception in 2011, it hired former PayPal president David Marcus in 2014 to transform the app. Messenger has already added features that allow users to make Wi-Fi calls, pay friends whom they owe money a la Venmo, request an Uber or Lyft, shop online, and track shipments.
Its latest play is to bring passengers boarding passes and flight updates.
Related:5 Small Airlines Rocking Social MediaWe’ve heard about Facebook profiles somehow serving as identification for flyers who’ve lost or left behind their government-issued ID—however alarming that may be. But a new partnership with a Dutch airline marks Messenger’s first air travel partnership.
Netherlands-based KLM recently began allowing customers to opt into Messenger assistance for their boarding passes, flight delays, seat changes, etc., instead of receiving standard email updates. The below video shows how Messenger allows flyers to make requests and ask questions directly through the app as if the airline were a personal assistant—basically a customer service agent at your fingertips.
KLM isn’t the first company to do this—retail shoppers can track items they’ve bought online with some businesses. I recently used the service to get updates on a clothing shipment from Everlane, and found it helpful to get automatic updates throughout the process rather than go looking for them once I became curious about their whereabouts. Getting Messenger updates cuts out the need to go looking for information because it’s sent to you as it becomes available.
If the hiring of PayPal exec David Marcus tells you anything about Facebook’s intentions, it’s that Facebook is aiming to assist you with all your online purchasing—travel tickets now included. Marcus recently told TIME that Messenger will “look a whole lot different” by next year.
I’m betting travel ticketing is part of it.
More from SmarterTravel:
The One Thing You Should Never Do with Your Boarding Pass How to Find Cheap Travel on Facebook and Twitter 10 Facebook-Free VacationsAssociate Editor Shannon McMahon writes about all things travel. Follow her on Twitter @shanmcmahon_.
We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Autors
Popular Topics
insider.com
14.08.2023 / 18:43
A boy survived a 100-foot Grand Canyon fall after moving out of the way for other tourists taking photos
A 13-year-old boy survived a 100-foot fall at the Grand Canyon, which resulted in a two-hour rescue mission that felt like "an eternity," his father told local Phoenix news station KPNX.
insider.com
14.08.2023 / 07:31
A video showing Delta Airlines auctioning '$700 to $1,200' vouchers for passengers to be bumped off a flight went viral, and people online say they'd take it in a heartbeat
A video showing a man listening to a Delta Airlines gate agent auctioning cash vouchers to bump passengers off a flight has gone viral, and people online say that it's a good deal.
insider.com
12.08.2023 / 15:35
Hawaiian Airlines is offering people in Maui $19 flights to escape the wildfires as the death toll continues to rise
Hawaiian Airlines is offering people in need of an urgent escape from wildfires ravaging Maui $19 flights to safety.
insider.com
10.08.2023 / 22:21
What to do if an airline bumps you from an overbooked flight
Getting bumped from a flight can either be an easy way to make some cash ($10,000 in one rare case!) — or a nightmare scenario that ruins your vacation.
travelandleisure.com
08.08.2023 / 20:51
Spirit Airlines' 2-day Sale Has Flights As Low As $40 — but You'll Have to Book Fast
Back to school is just around the corner and Spirit Airlines is making that transition a bit easier by helping students, parents, and teachers alike plan for their first school year vacation with a $40 flight sale.
insider.com
06.08.2023 / 13:31
A couple rents its 40-foot-tall fire tower on Airbnb for over $257 a night — over 1,600 are on the waitlist for the property's 65 spots
Drive along a one-lane gravel road deep in Oregon's Umpqua National Forest, and you'll find Summit Prairie, a secluded 40-foot fire-lookout tower with three beds, a pee pot, and limited cell service. Over 1,600 people are on the waitlist to spend the night there.
insider.com
05.08.2023 / 14:27
I've traveled to Disney World over 100 times. Here are the 8 things I'll never do there again.
I've been traveling to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, for almost 30 years. In that time, the parks and resorts have changed dramatically.
travelandleisure.com
02.08.2023 / 22:27
Hawaiian Airlines Has Flights to Paradise for As Low As $119 for a Limited Time
Travelers looking to extend their summer can now treat themselves to a trip to Hawaii this fall thanks to these major discounts. Hawaiian Airlines'«Switch Up Your Surroundings» fare sale, is offering discounted one-way airfares to and from many popular destinations in Hawaii — with fares starting at $119 Some of the biggest deals on the one-way fares include:
insider.com
02.08.2023 / 13:01
My family and I go to Disney theme parks all the time. We learned that taking naps at the hotel midday is crucial to enjoying ourselves.
I'm a major Disney Parks fan who lives close to Walt Disney World Resort and writes about theme parks for a living. I'm also a mom who has been taking her kids to Disney for over a decade. This means when people I know — from family members to random Facebook acquaintances — plan a Disney World trip, they usually reach out to me for tips to make it run smoothly.
insider.com
02.08.2023 / 10:55
I've sailed alone on 4 different cruise lines. Here are my top 5 tips for taking a solo cruise.
Traveling alone on a cruise ship can be liberating, convenient, and cheap — so long as you know how to do it right.
forbes.com
31.07.2023 / 21:57
This Luxurious Resort Is Taking Action To Protect The Yucatan's Native Sharks
Located at the confluence of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, Isla Mujeres serves as a treasure trove of North American biodiversity, with bottlenose dolphins, sailfish, and green sea turtles all thriving in its surrounding waters—yet one animal in particular has long suffered due to human activity. Though they play a prominent role in the local marine ecosystem, sharks are often unnecessarily culled due to their reputation as mindless killing machines, and in the Quintana Roo area, the animals have historically been targeted by the local fishing industry as well.